Bllli



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. G. MORSE.

BILLIARD TABLE! No. 249,541. Patented Nov, 15,1881.

mam MQ6 (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. G. MORSE.

BILLIARD TABLE.

No. 2495 1 1. Patented Not 15,1881.

N. PETERS. Pholo-Ulhogmplmr. Wnsllmglml, n. c.

(N0 Model.) 1 4 sheets -sheet 3.

W. G. MORSE.

.BILLIARD TABLE.

No. 249,541. Patented Nov. 15,1881

4 SheetsSheet 4.

Patented Nov. 15, 1881.

(No Model.)

W. G. MORSE.

BILLIARD TABLE. No. 249,541.

I UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. MORSE,OF PLAINFIELD, NEW J ERSEY.

BlLLIARD-TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed October 6, 1 881. (No model.)

may be more easily and accurately performed,

also for lessening the Weight of the table and the cost of its construction, facilitating the setting up or taking to pieces and removal of the table, for preventing the accumulation of dust or moth,for allowing the table to be kept clean easier than the tables heretofore made, and for permitting a much greater variety of artistic designs and ornamental work around the table and legs.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the table. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of one side edge of the table. Fig. 3 isan inverted plan view at one corner, showing the cushion-rail andbed. Fig. 4 is a parallel perspective view of the frame-work, attaching device, and parts of the finishing attachments. I Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the upper end of one leg and thedevices for attaching to it other portions of the frame-work. Fig. 6 is a plan of the devicefor connecting the leg and rails of the frame when the joints of the frame are made beveling andthelegs project diagonally at the corners. Fig. 7 is an inverted .plan at said leg. Fig. 8 is a section of; the bracket. Fig. 9 is an elevationof the attachingdeviceat an inner angle of the framework. Fig. 10 is al section,'jand Fig. 11 an elevation,of parts of the attachingdevice upon the leg; and Fig. 12 is aperspective view of a leg With rails attached. Fig. 13 is asection, and Fig. 14 an elevation, showing the method of covering thebody of the frame-work of the table with broad detachable panels or fascias.

- The legs B B, rails AA, cross-beams O, and centerbearer, E, form the frame-work of the billiard-table; the beams Q rest in notched socket-pieces D, and an gle-irons f are screwed 130A and G to firmly connect them. The notched socket-pieces I), that receive theends of the central bearer,E,"inay beprovided with" angle-irons scrhwed. below the bearer E. i The legs B are connected to the rails A by dowels Patent No. 249,541, dated November 15, 1881.

a, Figs. 2 and 5, on the ends of the rails, passing into holes in the legs. There is also upon each leg a nut-plate, b, securely fastenedgand upon each end of each rail A there is a clutchplate, 0, with ahook-shaped end, and a clamp, 01; and a strainingscrew, e, entering the nutplate 1), serves to draw the ends of the rails A,

firmly against the legs.

' By reference to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the hooked ends of the clutch-plates 0, being acted upon by the hooked ends of the clamps d and screw 6, force the dowels a firmly into i the leg and cause the ends of the rails A to abut firmly'against the right-angled sides of the legs B but in Figs. 6, '7, 9, and 12 the legs project diagonally, and the rails A, instead of bearing against the legs B directly, are fitted to the bearing-plates l, which are screwed to the legs B. r

The bearing-plates lhave beveled surfaces and stop-lugs, where the ends of the rails A bear against them, so that the rails are drawn inward and made to bear firmly against the beveled surfaces of the bearing-plates landtheir stop-lugs.

The brackets to, Figs. 7 and'S, beneath the I rails abut at their ends against the sides of thelegs, as shown. This mode of fastening the legs B and rails A firmly together is cheap and durable, and the table is made to stand very firmly when in use; but it can easily be taken apart for transportation.

It is to be understood that the legs B and rails Aare to'be connected together before introducin g the cross-beamsO or central bearer E.

The bed-frames L rest upon the rails A, legs B, and central bearer, E,-and there are angleirons f screwed on the outer surfaces of the rails A and to the under sides of the bedframes L, to hold the same firmlyin place. The screws i, Fig. 4, passing through the central bearer E, also connect the'bed to the parts below it. r

The bed I usually make in four parts, which I call the bed-sections, each section having a slab, K, of slate or similarmaterial, screwed to a frame, L, as usual, and in addition the cloth stripsn are secured to the frames L out: sidethe edges of the bed-slabs, to which cloth strips the cloth o,which covers the bed, is nailed.-

There are also border'strips p, which entirely k are attached to or form a part of the border-v.

strips. This mode of construction renders the' border-strips very firm and binds theseveral sections of the bed into one continuous whole, I

thereby impartin g additional strength -and stifi'ness,,andinsuringaapermanent evenness to, the :bed.

{Thecushion-rails Rare made of anyiornamental character externally, and will usually beunade of I116 fivestrips a, a, a ,,a ,-and u. The cushione is of any alesi-red shape or-con siruction. I here show it-asot hollowri-ibber. fastened to the strip uhand;the rail-clothzis firsttsecured by the strip w,.and their nailed to the-undersideof; thestrip u ,.in the usual way. @The cushion-rails bear upon the=restpieceslr, and are firmly fastened to .the bed by tdlBnbOlltS q, which are made to fit tightly in the w ood, thereby preventing the usual di-ffia cultybt therail becomingloose orcrookediv-by springing- The nuts of theibolts are firmly? bedded inthesubstanceot the border-strips p. The strip to which the elastic'cushion oqis attached, ;usually rests at its lower edge-upon thetop of the bed. I preferto raise this from the.;ibed, and also provide openings beneath the; strip a, and the elastic cushion 1),; asseen att, between theborder-strips p, therest-pieces It, and the rail atu. The object of these openings isto allow dustito pass down-freely from therbed, to prevent the accumulations of dirt and ,moth,and.also;to enable the bed to be kept clean .with' great facility and. little 'wear upon the cloth, as the .dust can be-sweptbutwardly on the bedzand dischargeddownwardly below the cushions instead-ofbeing ,swept to thetwolower corners of the, bed, as usual.

,Isometimes make the border-strips 1) thick cnough to; fill the entire :space between the clothcstrip nand therailat a, and I provide holes or openings down through the substance of? the border-strips, which holes may be of any desired shape or size. '.There may be a hole hehind each angle-mark ,andone at each corner. Inwthiscase the rails will bear upon the edge of the-bed. I prefer'the long openings and the spaces between the under side of the railand bed, asshown.

The brackets F areof any suitableornamental exterior configuration. They are adapted to for nithe top parts of the legs 13: These brackets vat -the inner or back edgesare hollow, and are provided each with two projectin g ribs,which face each other; and the upper part of the leg is made with T-shaped ribs,

over which the brackets are passed'down verticallyand rest upon the upper partiofthe leg.

One or more intermediate brackets, Gr, may be applied to the rails A, there being T-shapegl strips screwed to such rails, and over these the brackets are passed down vertically and rest on check-blocks inside and below the T- shaped ribs.

I- remark that dovetailed ribs may take the place of the T-shaped ribs, if desired.

The moldings I are of such a length as to ,pass in between the brackets F G, and they are supported at their ends by the rest-pieces 7c, that-project slightly from the sides of the brackets.

They also rest on the solid molding beneath.

-.The.ornamen tal panels or fascias L4 areadapted to ifill the spaces between themoldings I andtheuuder sides of the bed-frames L.

I provide channels in the vertical faces-0f i the brackets F and G, for receiving the-endsot':

these. panels L; and as it is preferable .to' put .these panels in place after the bed has-been. 4 screwed to the an gleironsf I make the chan-. nels inoneside of the brackets twice the=depth of the channels in, the-other side of the brackets, and Islip the endsof the panelsinto the i deep channels, .and then. move them .endwise into the shallow-channels.

The ornamental angle-pieces Hare applied ebefore the bed-sections are .putupon the rails A. It;-will readily be seen that for thisdde purpose.

For. plaintables I usually employ the broad detachable panels or fascias L Figs. 13.and

1 14, which may bemitered and clampedat the corners :and *111016 or .less ornamented upon.

theirsurfaces. Sometimes I employ the bracketsand the broad panel-pieces betweeuthe lbrackets.

I remark that .my improvement renderszit unnecessary to-employ as large slabs of slate as hitherto used, because such. slabs only ex- ;tend as far as necessary to properly support 5 the ball-when impacted into the cushion. This lessens the size and weight of the bed-sections.

I am .also able touse less cloth in covering the table.

In billiard-tables it is usual to employ angleimaginary point between them, will not be deflected on a line with the point calculated upon. This is a source of inaccuracy in calculatingthe angle of deflection and necessitates an addi- 'tional element in the calculation.

' I place the angle-marks y, usually upon the border.- strips 12, as nearly as possible at the pro . or at the lowered ge of the cushion, or they may be metallic pins, and I sometimes drive them through the cloth of .the bed or rail into the Wood. I prefer to attach them to the borderstrips, as shown.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a billiard-table, of the legs B, broad rails A, clutch-plates 0, nut-plates b, clamps d, and straining-screw e, substantially as set forth. V y

2. In a billiard-table, the combination, with the legs B, broad rails A, clutch-plate a, nutplates 1), clamp d, and straining-screw e, of the bearing-plates l, for the purpose and substantially as set forth.

3. In a billiard table, the combination of the legs B, broad rails A, and notched socketpieces D, the cross-beams 0, central bearer, E, and angle-irons f, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the broad railsA and the legs B, of the brackets F or G, and the T-shaped connecting-strips and the molding I, movable panels L, and an gle-pieces H, for the purpose and substantially as setforth.

5. The combination, with the rails A andlegs B, of the detachable panels or fascias, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with therails A andlegs B, of detachable brackets F and fasciasor panels, substantially as set forth.

7. Ina billiard-table, the combination, with the slabs K and the frames L, of the cloth strips 72, substantially as set forth.

8. In a bil1iard-table,'the combination, with the slabs K, frames L, and cloth strips n, of the border-strips p. surrounding the bed-sections, and the attaching bolts and screws, substantially as set forth.

9. The billiard-table having openings at the sides below the angle formed by theelastic cushion a, and its supporting-strip, and the bed. for the purposes and substantially as set forth.

10. The combination, with the bed, in a billiard-table, of the cushion, cushion-rail, and the rest-pieces, whereby openings are formed below the cushion, for the purposes and substantially as set forth.

11. The combination, with the bed-sections,

elastic'cushion, and its supporting-strips, of a strip connecting the cushion-rail and bed, having openings below the cushion, substantially as set forth.

12. The billiard-table having angle-marks beneath the line where the ball strikes the cushion and within the angle formed by the elastic cushion and the bed, substantially as set forth. 1

13. The billiard-table having wooden strips around the slabs outside the cloth strips and beneath the elastic cushion, in combination WM. G. MORSE. i

Witnesses:

J OAKLEY N ODYEN, W. L. GAVETT. 

